


Burning Ground

by TheShortestManOnEarth



Series: Glimadora Week 2.0 2020 [8]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora has a savior complex, Adora is a firefighter, Aged up characters, Also best-worst wingpeople, Background Kyle/Rogelio, Double Trouble and Bow are best wingpeople, Double Trouble has no filter, Double Trouble is Glimmer's roommate, F/F, Fluff, Free Day Prompt, Friends to Lovers, Glimadora Week 2 2020, Glimmer is a drag racer, Healing from the past, Hurt/Comfort, I have no idea where this idea came from, M/M, Modern AU, Some Humor, Swearing, Tumblr: Glimadora Week, shrugs, the fic you never asked for, this will be a series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:01:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26060836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShortestManOnEarth/pseuds/TheShortestManOnEarth
Summary: Glimadora Week 2.0 2020 Day 8: Free Day!Modern AU. Glimmer is a drag racer known as "The Sparkling Speedster". She lives life on the edge not caring how close she is to death every time she burns the asphalt in her races. Until she meets Adora, a firefighter whose desire to save everyone might be reality check that Glimmer needs before she spins out her wheels.Both are dedicated to what they do, but when the love they have for one another ignites the pains of their pasts, can they get through it or will the bridge they just built be burned?OrThe AU my brain slapped together for no other reason than I may want to draw fanart of Glimmer as a racer and Adora as a firefighter.This will be a series and I'll start it after I finish at least one of my other projects and have time to do proper research. Also, just to note: everyone in this is in their twenties or older.
Relationships: Adora & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra), Bow & Double Trouble (She-Ra), Bow & Glimmer (She-Ra), Double Trouble & Glimmer (She-Ra), Glimmer & Micah (She-Ra), Kyle/Rogelio (She-Ra)
Series: Glimadora Week 2.0 2020 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1881961
Comments: 13
Kudos: 24





	1. Wake Up

**Author's Note:**

> Hi All!
> 
> Welcome to Day 8, the final day of Glimadora Week 2020! 
> 
> For this prompt I decided to do another Modern AU. I can't say I know what the heck my brain was doing when I came up with this, but I promise I'll work on making it as good as it can be given how ridiculous the description sounds. The first chapter will also probably be overhauled and edited before I relaunch the story. Because I think there is still room for better pacing here, but I mostly wanted to get the prompt done for the challenge. 
> 
> This is a playlist I made on Spotify for this story: [Here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0oBnZzZZaraBbWt8iweDnL?si=kCGprGuJTn6s2iNOdZDlXw)
> 
> I was inspired by Say_Anything and LunariumParakeet (EtherianFrigatebird)'s "No Strings Attached" [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23173117/chapters/55465756%22)
> 
> I highly recommend reading that. 
> 
> I also recommend the following stories by my Discord Fronds and Anemones as well as some others if you're looking for new material to read now that Glimadora Week is over:
> 
> "Starways" by Count Dorku [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1597225)
> 
> "I Thought I Wanted This" by Athetos [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24865447/chapters/60156490)
> 
> "Adora: Vagabond of the Etherian Cosmos" by Say_Anything and Etherianfrigatebird [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22977853/chapters/54931186)
> 
> "Despara" by LadyLazuli97 [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23248570/chapters/55668538)
> 
> "Her Beacon of Hope" by CuriousScientistKae [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25225132/chapters/61143388)
> 
> "Across the Stars" by eritas [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23447845/chapters/56204974)
> 
> I also recommend becca_the_quiet_one's "They Spill, Unfound" series [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1836250)
> 
> And pipistrelle's contributions to Glimadora Week: [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1880776)
> 
> Thank you all for your kudos, comments, and feedback during this challenge. I had an absolute blast writing for this. As I mentioned in previous notes, I am taking a quick break before returning to my longer fics "Albatross" and "Last Night on Earth" to rest as well as work on some artwork for my fics. 
> 
> So I appreciate your patience while I get those up. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

A quick flick of the wrist to turn the knob to the radio drowned out all other sounds. It was nice to have a beat to keep her eyes on the prize. When Glimmer was driving, she wanted to lose herself to the feel of grease when she prepped the car, the squeaking of the wheels, and the smell of burning rubber as the tires dragged across the asphalt. There was a small jolt of electric high that never got old. The way her fingers tingled when she gripped the gear shift and shoved it into drive was like an explosion, a roar of fire, and when the world around her blurred it was like she was vanishing and reappearing at the finish line. 

And for a blissful heart wrenching flurry of beats of the heart, she could lose track of time. In the old, hole plagued driver’s seat, with her fingerless gloves wrapped over and over the steering wheel like a bandage on a wound, she could ignore the impending dread of slowing down and grounding herself again. 

But she wasn’t about to worry about that right now. There was a race to win and her opponent was slower than a snail. Her engines let loose a thrilled hum of satisfaction that she shared in as the car overtook the area marked for the finish today. The girl didn’t get out immediately. She sat for a few minutes until the other driver pulled up. A low groan emitted from her opponent’s ride. If the car was beaten down to its frame, then the driver’s winded expression as he stepped out was no surprise. Finally, the pink haired woman stepped out, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her lilac colored leather jacket. She leaned up against her car, eyeing the scrawny looking blonde guy who half stumbled, and half fell out the driver’s seat of his vehicle. 

“And the victory goes to the Sparkling Speedster!” The tall announcer with long blond hair with green streaks, who went by the name “Double Trouble” called out. They were dressed in a flashy and equally green suit to match their hair streaks. “ _Again_.” The announcer dropped their enthusiasm at the thought of no real drama or competition. They liked it better when there was some amount of risk to the event. Whenever Glimmer beat someone soundly, which was often enough, it left the announcer feeling like there wasn’t a job to do. Screaming about the same racer winning each time didn’t exactly scream “emotion”. 

A smirk crossed Glimmer’s face. Across the small stretch of parking lot where the race had been set to end, stood the disgruntled team of racers known as The Horde. Their newest recruit was the poor sap who had been pitted up against Glimmer for his first trial run and she could tell that the other members of the Horde crew were less than pleased with his debut. 

“We’ll beat you next time.” One of the other Horde racers said, jabbing her finger out at Glimmer. This woman had dark hair and braids on either side of her face. 

“Next time,” The pink haired woman said with a smug grin. “Don’t send a rookie.” Inside though, Glimmer did feel bad for the blonde guy who looked like he wanted to take a dive under his car and hide there for the foreseeable future. A growl came from the guy standing behind the blonde, this one was muscular and had green hair that put Double Trouble to shame. 

“Hey,” The green haired guy said, placing a protective hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “It’s Kyle’s first time. Leave him alone.” The shorter blonde looked up at the muscular guy with a smile. 

“It’s okay, Ro,” Kyle said. The muscular guy’s anger dissipated at the words and then their supposed leader stepped up again. 

“We’ll be back.” She barked and then they all turned around and climbed into their respective vehicles. 

“Oh, Dear, they were pissed.” Double Trouble said with an air of delight and Glimmer threw them a strange look. “Tell me, do you think they’ll try something dirty to win next time?” 

“Don’t sound so thrilled about it.” She said, folding her arms across her chest. “Nothing they do to get better can be good.” The announcer pouted a little. 

“Oh, you’re no fun, Darling. What’s the point of life if there’s no room for a little emotional drama?” They raised an eyebrow at the pink haired woman. Glimmer sighed. There was nothing she loved more than racing until the sun went down but she also knew that the Horde was bad news. Somehow, Double Trouble was completely unperturbed by this fact. 

“I’m not interested in drama. I just want to drive.” Glimmer deadpanned and turned on her heel as she added over her shoulder, “Just text me when the next race is, Dean.” 

The announcer clicked their tongue in disappointment. “You won’t find love with _that_ attitude. ” The pink haired girl stopped, her shoulders stiffening before she turned back to face Double Trouble. Her keys dug into her palm as she tightened her fist around them. 

“I _love_ driving.” Glimmer said. “I just need to keep moving and I’ll be fine.” There was no room for the announcer to respond as the woman trudged to her car, slammed the door and was off screeching into the night. Double Trouble sighed. They shook their head as they retreated to their own vehicle. It was going to be another long couple of hours before their roommate came back. If at all. 

The pink haired girl found herself driving until she reached the pier off the walkway that stretched across the span of the highway. She got out and leaned against the door. The cool air nipped at her. Whenever she stopped the heat stopped right along with her, like she was short on breath and her blood flow chilled itself without the speed to keep her going. The air soon filled with an earsplitting siren as a fire truck sped by. Cars parted for the truck, jumping aside as if afraid to be responsible for what would happen if they were the reason the truck didn’t make it in time. 

Glimmer’s eyes flickered with the red and blue dancing glow. She followed where the truck was destined. It was almost too dark to make out, but she could see smoke climbing into the sky, swallowing the night air like an animal grasping for scraps. Another shiver slipped past the guard her jacket provided and laid siege to her skin. There was a pause and she surrendered, popping open the door of her car and sliding into the warm seat. No matter how many times she came out here, drawn by the need to watch the world rush by, she never could stand the cold for long. 

Her eyes caught the clear night sky in the corner of her passenger window. The fire must have been put out. She didn’t envy whoever had the job of battling the flames that someone else set ablaze every night. At least with her own driving it was her choice. No one else got hurt when she sped across the asphalt. But fighting fires for a living seemed like it would take a special kind of person. Maybe someone with a need to prove to themselves that they were a hero. 

Needless to say, she didn’t envy the people in that truck or the inevitable afterburn when they left the fight each night. Her phone buzzed and she sighed, seeing the text from her best friend, Bow. 

_Bow: Dean told me you went out driving again, even after the race? Glimmer, I’m worried about you. Can we meet up tomorrow?_

Glimmer’s face scrunched into a scowl. Double Trouble didn’t know when to keep their mouth shut. Then again, they were also Bow’s roommate. It was hard to avoid the two talking. 

_Glimmer: I’m fine, Bow. Just needed to clear my head._

_Bow: I’m buying you breakfast. Meet me at 9. Frightening Flapjack Zone._

Glimmer tried hard to send her glare through the phone but sighed when it inevitably didn’t work. Bow was impossible when he got like this. She could either spend the next hour arguing with him or just accept that they were going to talk about her racing. Why Dean had busted her ass, she wasn’t sure. She had to think it was out of concern, but part of her suspected they liked stirring the trouble pot so long as it gave them entertainment. 

_Glimmer: Fine. Only if you’re buying._

_Bow: Deal. Whatever gets you up._

The pink haired woman’s face creased with annoyance. Being “up” was putting it generously. If she had the choice, she wouldn’t be up at 9 at all. _Who the hell enjoyed getting up early anyways?_

\-------- 

By the time the truck returned to the firehouse and she was able to start cleaning off, Adora was sure that she had brushed more ash her coat than should have been reasonable. The boots came off and once she was free, she dragged her body to the couch and collapsed. After the night she’d had, she should have gone home, she should have showered, and put on her daytime work clothes, but she didn’t manage to do much other than fall face first onto the communal couch. One her body hit the cushions, her weight seemed to melt into it, and she let her eyes fall shut. 

She’d been told more than once by the Fire Captain not to fall asleep on the couch and get a proper night’s rest. But she could deal with the Captain in the morning. Right now, the couch was her best friend and wouldn’t ask her questions about how she was feeling. Having the quiet to herself was refreshing. Everyone else wanted to go home to their families or roommates, or someone else. Adora would only go home to change or grab a bite to eat nearby before heading in for the day. For now, though, she ignored her better judgments and sleep claimed her. 

\-------- 

To state that Glimmer despised mornings and anyone who seemed to be perky in them was an understatement. When Bow’s text reminder came through, the pink haired woman couldn’t manage more than a grumbly “K” in response to whatever her best friend had written because she frankly wasn’t awake enough to care. He could speak to her after she had her giant plate of pancakes that he was buying for her and no less than two coffees. 

She threw on the closest pair of jeans thrown over a chair and picked a random shirt out of her drawer. A cursory glance around found her favorite blue down jacket, outside of her purple leather jacket, with a pair of pink wings on the back. Bow would no doubt be calling her if she didn’t hurry up, so she shoved her feet into her shoes and grabbed her keys from the bowl on her desk before heading out. She half jogged and half ran across the street and down to the end of the block to where the weird looking restaurant known as the “Frightening Flapjack Zone” was. The outside made it look like something out of a horror movie with the sickening green peeling paint and the creepy two wings that contrasted her own angelic ones. These wings looked threatening. Inside wasn’t that much better but the food was decent, and the location was convenient, so she usually went along with Bow’s invites without commentary. Okay, there was _some_ commentary. Glimmer was vocal about her feelings, especially without coffee to stave off her morning grouchiness. 

When she entered the restaurant, she immediately was given a warm greeting by the friendly woman working the counter, Scorpia, a muscular woman with an undercut and short hair with red dyed tips. She looked like the type of person who would hug you until your bones crumbled and were reduced to powder. Bow was in a booth by the front and had already ordered Glimmer her usual coffee fix. Double Trouble was there too, already talking Bow’s ears off about their latest acting gig. Outside of announcing races, Double Trouble was just Dean, an aspiring actor. Though if you asked them, they would say that they weren’t “aspiring”. 

“Hi Glimmer!” Bow waved enthusiastically. The woman bristled at the loud enthusiasm and slid into the booth next to her friend. Double Trouble looked up from their plate of French Toast and took in her appearance. 

“I think you better order her another coffee, Bow. She looks like she’s about to commit pancake homicide.” The announcer and actor said before taking another bite of food. Glimmer glowered but couldn’t find the coherence to respond so she drowned any potential response in coffee. 

“Pancake homicide…” Bow repeated. “Is that actually a kind of murder?” His eyes went wide. Glimmer sighed, her face flopping onto the table. “No, Bow, it’s not.” Glimmer muttered. “Yet.” She was about to say something more when the door opened, and a tall blonde woman walked in. She was dressed in a somewhat rumpled blue uniform jacket and shirt, and baggy looking coverall pants. Glimmer wasn’t sure what to make of the appearance until she caught sight of the Firehouse insignia when the woman turned to the side. She was already talking with Scorpia at the counter and the muscular diner employee set a to-go box on the counter. 

“I put some extra bacon in there for you.” Scorpia was saying to the blonde. “I know you need the protein.” There was a pause as the blonde laughed. It was an almost childishly pure sound, complete with a snort and a bright light that went through the startling blue eyes that Glimmer was getting pleasantly lost in. 

“Glimmer?” Bow cleared his throat. 

The pink haired woman shook her head and turned to look at Bow. “Huh, did you say something?” 

“Oh, she’s got it _bad_.” Double Trouble said with a smirk. Glimmer’s face flushed at the words. How long had she been staring at that woman for? 

“I was just asking if you wanted anything with your pancakes?” The man asked, a smile starting to cross his face as well. Glimmer had once again magnetized her eyes to the blonde, who was, much to the pink haired woman’s disappointment, leaving. The door opened and then closed. A sigh escaped Glimmer. 

“I think _I_ know what she wants with her pancakes.” Double Trouble said with a sultry smirk. The blush on Glimmer’s face deepened along with her need to kick her roommates for their efforts. 

“Are you two set to order? We have a pancake special today.” Scorpia said as she stepped up to their booth. There was a pause as Glimmer realized she was now wide awake. Something she never was at this hour. 

“Scorpia, right?” Bow said, catching on to how little Glimmer was paying attention at this point. 

“Yes sir!” The muscular woman said with a bright smile. “That’s me.” 

“Great, um, I think what we’re all wondering is who that woman was just now.” Bow said. Glimmer’s eyes shot wide open and she attempted to kick her best friend under the table, but he deftly dodged, having anticipated the literal kickback for his meddling. 

“Oh, you mean Adora?” Scorpia said without missing a beat. “She works at the Firehouse down the street. Real friendly. But she’s always so busy with work. I don’t know what else she does.” 

“Oh, dear.” Double Trouble said, clicking their tongue per usual. “That’s no good. Maybe someone should take her out.” They threw a wink at Glimmer, who immediately began contemplating committing double pancake homicide. 

“Good luck.” Scorpia said with a laugh. “I’ve known her for years and she’s never said yes to anyone.” The woman looked down for a second. “I don’t know why.” She shrugged. “Anyways, do you all want anything?” 

“Strawberry pancakes, please.” Glimmer said and then took that chance to kick both Bow and Double Trouble while they were distracted. “With a side of sausage links.” Scorpia turned her attention to Bow, who was grimacing. The pink haired woman he called a best friend didn’t pull punches, or kicks. 

“I’ll have your pancake special.” He wheezed. Glimmer grinned smugly and leaned back into the booth’s back cushion as Scorpia walked away. Despite the teasing, the pink haired woman wanted to know more about Adora. But she would have to be stealthy if she didn’t want her two embarrassing Meddling Mom Friends One and Two to find out. Thankfully neither brought the subject up again as they tucked into their meals. Glimmer on the other hand, couldn’t stop thinking about those blue eyes.


	2. Risk Assessment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer tries to find Adora at the Firehouse. Adora's Firehouse Family gets a little overprotective. Double Trouble once again has no filter and tries to play matchmaker. 
> 
> Everyone is embarrassed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey All,
> 
> I tried to load this chapter the other day but my internet crashed right when I clicked the upload button. *Sigh* 
> 
> Anyways, this is the last update for Burning Ground before I begin classes on Monday. Classes will run until November 19th so I'll be updating "Last Night on Earth" and "Albatross" one more time each before then. I know it's less than what I originally planned, but between pre-quarter prep work, visual art stuff I had to work on, and general life stuff I wasn't able to update as much as I would have liked. If I have time to update during the quarter I will, but priority will of course be given to my coursework first. 
> 
> A few notes about this chapter:
> 
> I tried my best to do some research on Firefighting and make this chapter feel as genuine as possible (I did take some creative liberties too). 
> 
> Minor CW: Some dissociation and depression implied for Adora. Let me know if other things need warning and I'll add it to the notes. 
> 
> In this story Netossa and Spinnerella are about ten years older than Adora is and Huntara is a little older than that. Frosta is still younger than Adora. But everyone is in their twenties or older. 
> 
> The exchange at the end of the Firehouse scene with Adora is 100% inspired by the exchange at the end of the Muppet Movie "Can you Picture That" scene after the Electric Mayhem paints Fozzy and Kermit's car. You'll know what lines I'm talking about if you've seen the movie.
> 
> Thank you again to everyone for your support of this story. I'm excited to continue to work on it when I'm on break again. Comments, kudos, and feedback are welcomed and appreciated!

It always felt like Adora’s ears would never stop ringing since the day she graduated from the Fire Academy and began working in an official capacity. As soon as the siren in the Firehouse went off, the blonde was up like a shot, practically bounding to get dressed and board the truck. The heavy pressure whenever she was inside a burning building didn’t help matters either. But at this point she barely noticed. All her mind could think about was tactically finding out how to get in and out, and if there was someone to be rescued, get them out at any cost. 

Last night’s call would have been a standard routine to deal with an accidental grease fire. Or at least that was the last thing Adora had heard from their Fire Inspector on the cause. But when they arrived at the building, the fire had spread past the kitchen and was hungrily stalking through each additional room to the stairs. Their engine arrived just as the second story erupted in a burst of flames and the Fire Officer already on the scene immediately sought out Adora’s Squad leader, a stern woman by the of Tallstar. She began dividing up the tasks for the scene and as usual, Adora was given the task of searching the entry level floor. 

Their water master, Mermista, had already started to clear an entrance through the flames with the deluge gun. Once Tallstar confirmed that the path was secured, she signaled to Adora’s Squad, Rescue Team 2, or Team Grayskull as it had been nicknamed because the original founder of the Firehouse had been a part of that squad in his day. Her team comprised of three other firefighters other than herself, Tallstar’s brother, Jewelstar, an eager new member of the house by the name of Frosta, and a veteran named Huntara. Adora had been on the job for about five years, which was significant, but Huntara had been on the force for almost as long as the Firehouse had been in existence. Whenever they were on call, the blonde felt better knowing Huntara was there to lead the way or to back their squad up. 

This time began the same way as all their other calls, only when they entered the house, the blaze started to pick up once more. Outside, Mermista redoubled her efforts and enlisted the help of the other engine to start to clear an exit. The squad split up into twos, Huntara taking Frosta, and Adora going with Jewelstar to search opposite sides of the ground level. They had taken a few steps into what was left of the kitchen when there was a yell from upstairs. 

The blonde’s blue eye’s flicked over and without a single thought she backtracked. “Adora, wait!” Jewelstar called. But over the roar of the flames as they started to creep again across the floor and the creaking of the house as the flames ate away at the structure, the man’s words were lost. Adora reached the stairs and a burst of flames knocked her backwards. The cries from up the stairs continued to cut through the noise. 

“Griffin!” Huntara’s barrel-esc bark was louder still. Adora turned to find the veteran firefighter had finished her rounds with Frosta and had come out just in time to see the blonde attempting to charge upstairs into what was looking to be a death trap of fire and smoke. “You were not given clearance to go upstairs.” 

The blonde paused but didn’t back down. “Someone’s up there, Ma’am.” The vet searched the younger woman’s face. Huntara didn’t like charging in without a plan, but she was also more prone to improvising than any of their superiors. There was a groan from the upstairs landing and all four fighters were soon hit with a mix of dry wall, wood from the stairs, and ash from the crumbling structure. The towering veteran flicked the debris off her jacket as if the rubble was an annoying bug. 

“I’ll call it in and get them to clear an exit upstairs. Eckstein, go with her.” Huntara laid a firm hand on Adora’s shoulder. “Don’t do anything brash, Blondie.” 

Adora grinned, “Don’t worry about me.” The broad-shouldered veteran grunted but said nothing further. They had a job to do. Adora waited until Huntara waved them upstairs. She then wasted no time in running up as fast as her legs could carry her with all the heavy equipment weighing her down. The stairs complained every step of the way. 

Jewelstar cleared their path using a smaller extinguisher and the two stopped at the top to listen for where the cries were emanating from once more. A loud yell came from the room down the hall. It was full of smoke and flames continued to assault the door like a battering ram. Once the door was open, they would have to grab the person inside and move quickly to the exit. 

“I’m going in, you get the exit ready.” Adora stated and before Jewelstar could object, she was charging through the smoke and gritted her teeth as the heat from the flames bared down on her jacket. She made it to the door and called, “Move away from the door!” There was a shuffling and then the blonde bashed the door open. 

Once inside, she spotted the victim. Her eyes quickly took stock of the situation. The room was largely cut off from the fire, but the moment the door opened, the flames began to find their way inside. She approached the person huddled back in the far corner by the window. They couldn’t have been much older than fourteen. Within a few strides she reached them and lifted the small teen up and began to work her way back to the hall. A brief clicking and then a beep on her comms let Jewelstar know she was coming back. 

The ceiling gave a shuddering rumble and more debris fell on the blonde fighter as she briskly carried the victim through the smoke and flames. At the stairs she saw Jewelstar waiting with the extinguisher. They made their way down the stairs, slowing down as they groaned and then as soon as their feet touched the ground, they hurried to the cleared path out. The moment they were outside, the sounds of the outside, the flashing lights of the lightbars, and the chattering of the other squads overwhelmed the two. 

The injured resident of the house was passed off to the EMTs who had arrived on the scene. Adora then turned to face the scowl she knew was coming from her Squad Officer. Tallstar liked to run things by the books. Normally Adora was rule oriented herself, but whenever someone was in trouble, it was like an override code was implemented and she went into autopilot. 

“Sorry, Griffin.” Huntara said, clapping the blonde’s shoulder. She shrugged. It wasn’t like Adora could blame the veteran. After all, Adora had once again pushed the line on following protocol. She shrugged at the taller woman and with a sigh, followed Tallstar to face the music. It was okay at the end of the day though, because the teenager stuck in that room got to go back to their family alive. Getting chewed out was a small price to pay for breaking the rules to save a life. 

When Adora awoke the next morning from her position on the Firehouse couch she found her Fire Captain, Netossa Joy, a woman with dark brown skin, curly dark hair pulled back to show the light blue highlights in her undercut, glaring down at the blonde with a disappointed frown on her face. Only then did the blonde finally feel all the exhaustion and disappointment in herself from yesterday come crashing down. “So, I heard you went overboard. Again.” 

“Only a little.” Adora said with a sheepish smile and then grimaced when she sat up. Internally she hoped that Netossa hadn’t noticed the wince, but the older woman was nothing if not attentive and perceptive. 

The Captain sighed, running her hand over her face with a long sigh. “Adora, you know I love you. But this has got to stop. Every time you take an unnecessary risk, someone else could get hurt.” She frowned as a worried expression crossed her eyes before they turned professional and stern once more. “Next time you might not be so lucky to make it out with a rescue and your life.” There was a pause. “I know you’re already on break, but I want you to take an extra day to cool down. Don’t come back until Friday.” She shot the blonde a knowing look. “I mean it. Not even a cup of coffee. I want you to rest and come back ready to make some good decisions.” 

Adora blinked as the aches of the last shift slowly sinking in. “Yes, Captain.” She said with a sigh. Netossa shook her head, placing her hand on the blonde’s shoulder. 

“Take this time to do something for yourself.” She made sure to get a nod from Adora before letting go. “Three days off isn’t going to kill you.” 

“I seriously doubt that.” The blonde muttered but Netossa had already walked back to her office, leaving the blonde to force her weary body up so she could head home. She stood up and felt how light-headed she was. How long ago did she eat? 

“Go eat!” The order from inside the office made the blonde sigh and shake her head. No matter how long it had been, the older woman never stopped looking after Adora. When the blonde had struggled on her own to make it through high school, Netossa and her wife, Spinerella had taken it upon themselves to look after Adora. Time hadn’t changed the almost familial dynamic and it had only grown stronger between Netossa and Adora when the blonde joined the Fire Department force. 

Adora didn’t have the energy to change from her Firehouse uniform and inwardly resolved to wash her clothes when she returned to her apartment. Now she just wanted to eat and try to make the next three days go by faster. The blonde made her way to the Frightening Flapjack Zone where Scorpia was ready with the firefighter’s usual. 

“Thanks, Scorpia.” Adora said with a smile. The broad-shouldered woman smiled. Adora started to say something when she caught a bright patch of pink out of the corner of her eye. She flicked her eyes to the far corner of the restaurant where a woman with bright pink hair was seated in a booth with two other patrons. 

“You off today?” The restaurant server asked, jerking the blonde’s attention back from where it had locked on the stranger in the booth. 

“Off for three days.” Adora said. Anyone else would have been thrilled but the blonde didn’t know what she’d do. Normally she’d have a training exercise or some reading that she needed to do for the next shift, but Netossa had essentially benched the blonde. The thought of sitting in her apartment alone made her twitchy. Scorpia continued to offer a bright outlook. “That’s great. There’re some fun festivals happening over the next two days. I think some new movie came out too. Though it may be horror based. Not my thing, but hey, maybe you like horror?” Scorpia’s enthusiasm was contagious in the general sense. Adora did feel bolstered by it, but she also knew she wouldn’t go to any of the events. “You work so hard. I think you should enjoy some time to yourself.” 

Adora sighed. “Thanks, Scorpia, again. I’ll, uh, look into those. And thanks for the food, as always.” 

The server nodded. “Oh, it’s my pleasure.” She turned to the booth. It was probably time to check if they were ready to order. When the broad-shouldered woman turned around once more, Adora was walking out the door. 

\---- 

Netossa sighed and leaned back in the cushioned roller office chair, folding her arms across her chest. She liked Adora. The blonde was a diligent worker, she was passionate, and most of the time she was one of the best firefighters in the house. There was a discipline and fierceness that couldn’t be taught that Adora exercised daily. No one needed to tell her to set aside her own feelings or opinions for the sake of the bigger picture for the sake of the team. 

But the blonde also had a downright garbage work and life balance. She was stubborn about it too. Any suggestion to taking time off was usually met with resistance. The way Adora threw herself into the fray wasn’t sustainable. That stubborn streak burned the rope of heroics at both ends. While Netossa prided herself on being a strong leader who could face any challenge head on, Adora’s stubbornness had proven to be the one puzzle she was struggling to solve. Netossa and other members of the Department had tried to talk the blonde into taking more time off or finding a hobby outside of work, but any attempt only served to make Adora feel like she had to work harder to compensate. 

The Captain stood and made her way to the break room where she started to pour herself a cup of coffee. As she started to pour sugar into the cup, she blinked at the odd sight visible through the glass window of the break room. A woman with bright pink dyed hair and a punk looking lilac colored jacket walked through the doors to the Firehouse. _Is she lost?_ The Captain’s eyes never left the pink haired woman as she continued to look around. 

“Hello? I’m sorry to interrupt…I’m looking for Adora?” She paused, noticing that the Firehouse was largely empty now. Despite the pink haired woman’s appearance, which spoke volumes of confidence, her tone was a little uncertain. Maybe because she hadn’t known what to expect walking into a Firehouse without any kind of warning or appointment. There certainly weren’t any tours scheduled for the day according to Netossa’s calendar. She sighed and then cast her gaze down to see that she had turned her coffee into a sugary mess. The sugar and coffee were abandoned as the Captain made her way out into the middle of the Firehouse lounge where the pink haired woman was waiting. 

“I’m Captain Netossa Joy. I’m the senior officer here. How can I help you?” Netossa said, putting on a professional air. The pink haired woman turned to the other woman. 

“Oh, I’m Glimmer.” Glimmer said with a nervous glance at the hard expression the Captain was wearing. 

“Glimmer…” Netossa repeated the name as though considering if it was real or not. She gave the other a once over that made Glimmer’s insides erupt in nervous butterflies and bouts of anxiety. It didn’t seem like it should be possible for a single look to hold that level of scrutiny. “I’m not sure how you found out about Adora-” 

“Scorpia at the Frightening Flapjack Zone told me Adora worked here.” Glimmer blurted. Her hands shoved into her pockets to keep from shaking. Why was this Captain giving off such an intense impression? At first Glimmer assumed it was just because Netossa was the head of the Firehouse, but now it felt like there was something else going on here. 

“And you came here to…what?” Netossa said, raising an eyebrow. The garage door rumbled, and the lounge then filled with the sound of the other Squad members as they returned from their latest tour. All eyes fell on the standoff happening in the middle of the room. Glimmer almost felt like she was sweating as several sets of eyes focused on her. 

“Talk to her.” Glimmer said hurriedly, swallowing hard. Under the Captain’s gaze she felt completely exposed. It was a foreign feeling to the level of confidence and the thick skin her racing offered her. 

“Well, Adora’s off today. But I’ll let her know you stopped by.” Glimmer nodded. The tone was final and dismissive. This was someone who was used to dealing with warriors who jumped into burning buildings to save people for a living. The conversation was clearly over, and the pink haired woman shoved down the urge to ask when Adora would be back. “Please sign out on the guest pad with your information.” 

“Uh, thank you.” Glimmer said quietly and then slowly made her way out of the Firehouse, stopping to put her information down. One of the Firefighters, a shorter woman with dyed dark blue hair stared appreciatively at Glimmer as she exited the building. 

“Who was that? I really liked her hair.” Frosta said. Netossa blew a grunt through her nostrils. 

“No idea. But I think she was interested in Adora for some reason.” The Captain said. Some of the other Firefighters were now filtering into the lounge, grabbing coffee, and settling into the couches. Frosta raised an eyebrow. 

“Adora?” The gears in the younger woman’s head creaked for a second before she snapped her head up. “She wants to date Adora?!” 

“Well, _that’s_ not happening.” Huntara said with a cool laugh. The towering veteran downed the cup of pure black coffee in her hand without missing a single beat. Her hand crushed the empty plastic cup and shucked it aside into the nearby trash bin. 

“We don’t know anything about her.” Another firefighter said. This one a woman with long blonde hair that would have gone past her shoulders if it hadn’t been tied back. She was dressed like everyone else save for the flower patterns and patches sewn into her coveralls. “I say we give her a chance. I had a good feeling about her energy.” 

“Ever the optimist, Perfuma.” Huntara muttered. The other forced a smile. It wasn’t easy to get through to Huntara or to convince her to budge when she didn’t feel like it. But then again, there was a good reason she’d managed to survive as long as she had as a firefighter. She knew when to dive in and when to back off. Although she hadn’t exactly shown an interest in romance so Perfuma didn’t trust her to know how to approach a delicate situation such as this. 

“I’m simply stating a fact. We really don’t know who this other person is. And who knows, maybe Adora will like her?” 

“I don’t like her.” Huntara grumbled. Perfuma resisted the urge to groan in frustration by closing her eyes and meditating for a minute. There was some collective muttering and arguing when the door opened again. 

“Oh, you have got to be…” Netossa muttered. There in the doorway stood Adora, looking like a deer in the headlights when she laid eyes on the Captain. “Adora, I told you to stay away-” 

Perfuma cut the Captain off. “No, no, this is good. We can put this to a vote now that she’s here.” The flowery woman clasped her hands together as she grinned eagerly at the other blonde, who was growing more concerned by the minute. 

“Wait, what?” Adora said, confusion wrinkling across her face. “What’s going on?” Huntara let out a low laugh and shook her head. 

“All in favor of letting Glimmer date Adora?” Perfuma said. Frosta’s hand shot up. Huntara still refused to acknowledge the whole endeavor. Adora’s head kept looking back and forth like she was watching a tennis match. 

“Uh… what is-” 

“Not going to get involved.” Mermista said, holding up a hand. Frosta shot the water master a judgmental glare. “But… you know me, I’ll support Adora no matter what. Sure, date Twinkle or whatever.” 

“All opposed to Adora going on a date with Glimmer?” Perfuma plowed ahead ignoring the groans and head shaking of Netossa and Huntara. Adora continued to grow frustrated as her confusion mounted. _Who was Glimmer?_

“I didn’t ask-” Adora tried to interject. Perfuma was on a roll now though. She counted the remaining hands and then clapped her hands together in delight, her eyes widening with excitement. 

“Okay, it’s settled. Adora will go out with Glimmer and report back.” Perfuma said, smiling as she turned to the other blonde. Adora ran a hand over her face. 

“Why was this even up for a vote?” She asked. “I still have no idea who that is.” Perfuma smiled and walked over to where the other was standing. 

“I’m sure she doesn’t know _how_ to thank you all.” The flowery blonde assured everyone. Huntara was now snorting with laughter at the situation. 

“I don’t know _why_ I should thank you?” Adora said, throwing her arms up in exasperation. Huntara walked over and clapped a hand to the blonde’s shoulder. 

“Good luck, Griffin. From the looks of her, Glimmer’s a handful.” The veteran then returned to the break room for more coffee. Adora looked helplessly over at Netossa, who sighed. 

“I told you to stay away.” The Captain said with a raised brow. That was Netossa’s way of saying “You brought this on yourself.” Netossa stood up and walked over to the guest sign in and copied the number from it on a slip of paper before returning to hand it to Adora. 

“This is her number. Whether you contact her is up to you. But I seriously do not want to see you back until Friday.” Netossa said under her breath, a warning stare pinning the blonde in place. She nodded and then took the slip of paper as she walked out. 

Adora’s eyes went down to the paper and she stared blankly into the street, flummoxed. _What the heck just happened?_

\---- 

Glimmer opened the door to the apartment and immediately dropped to face plant on the couch. The whole experience at the Firehouse was starting to feel like a monumental mistake. The pink haired woman had slipped out while Bow was at work and Double Trouble was at an audition to ensure neither one could comment on her attempt to find the mysterious blonde from the Frightening Flapjack Zone. 

Not only the pink haired racer not found Adora, but the former woman been stared down and rejected soundly by the Captain of the Firehouse. Going back wasn’t an option. Glimmer had to give up her curiosity to save what was left of her dignity. 

“I take it finding your mystery woman didn’t go well?” Glimmer’s head shot up. Double Trouble sat on the arm of the couch, legs daintily folded and two bright eyes staring knowingly into the pink haired woman’s eyes. 

“I wasn’t out looking for Adora.” Glimmer mumbled and buried her head in her hands. 

“Oh? So, you were out chasing another woman? Oh, _love_ the drama.” Double Trouble said with a wink. Glimmer hated every part of her roommate at the moment and wasn’t afraid to tell them as much with her eyes. “All jokes aside, Darling. What happened?” 

“I ran into the Captain because apparently Adora is off duty today.” Glimmer said, rolling onto her side. The whole debacle played inside her mind and refused to let her live down her embarrassment. 

“Oh My, conflict already?” Double Trouble said. They looked entirely too pleased with their comment. 

“It doesn’t matter because I’m not interested in her anymore. It’s fine.” Glimmer said and started to walk towards the door. Then she thought the better of it. She didn’t want anyone bothering her. “I’m leaving my phone here and going for a drive. Don’t poke your nose where it doesn’t belong, Dean.” The pink haired woman said as she went to put her phone down on her desk. The other remained silent as they watched the racer leave. As soon as the door clicked, they leapt up at the sound of the phone’s text tone pinging. 

On the screen was an unknown number with the text: “Hi, Glimmer. You don’t know me, but I guess you met my Firehouse coworkers today. I’m Adora. I wanted to apologize for them if you want to meet up somewhere for coffee. If not, that’s okay. I know this is weird.” 

Double Trouble’s lips curled into a smile and they typed in a response: Hi, Adora, I’d love to get coffee. When do you want to meet? 

The dots appeared and the response came through: I’m off tomorrow. So, I guess tomorrow around 8? 

Double Trouble clicked their tongue. Glimmer wasn’t going to like that they already signed her up for a date without permission, but to do one so early in the morning seemed cruel in a sense. The actor shrugged. It would be worth it. 

Glimmer: That’s fine by me. Where do you want to go? 

Adora: Bright Moon Brews? 

Glimmer: Sounds good. See you tomorrow. =) 

Adora: See you tomorrow. 

Double Trouble set the phone down and sat down on the couch. Glimmer would be mad, but the actor felt like this was the nudge the racer needed. If she’d take it. It was entirely possible that Glimmer would reject the whole idea when she found out. But at least Double Trouble could say that they tried to help. 

\--- 

Adora sat and stared at her phone. Part of her was in disbelief that she’d gotten a response from this mysterious Glimmer at all. Though the bigger surprise was that the blonde had even attempted to text the other woman. The other half of Adora wanted to text back and say she couldn’t go. But there was the small part of the blonde that felt guilty for the way that Glimmer may have been treated. Whatever had happened needed to be apologized for. That’s all this was: a simple apology. The firefighter looked up to see the small wet nose of her dog, Swift Wind, pressing against her leg. The dog whined and nudged her. 

“I’m okay, Swifty.” The dog refused to budge. Adora sighed but smiled. She adjusted herself and the dog climbed up onto the couch with her. At least there was something to do tomorrow. That was good, right? The blonde’s eyes squeezed shut and she bit her lip. Swift Wind barked and she snapped out of her reverie. 

“Right.” Adora said quietly and stood up, the dog padding behind her. “Food.” One good thing about Swift Wind was that feeding him reminded Adora to eat too. Even if she didn’t feel like it. The dog was as attentive as any human when it came to reminding his human to take care of herself. The blonde settled back on the couch, heated leftovers from the Frightening Flapjack Zone on the coffee table as she turned on the TV. Swift Wind chomped loudly on his kibble, though he never once took his eyes off the blonde. 

It had been a while since Adora had planned anything outside of work. She stared through the show playing in front of her. Swift Wind was one of the few things that could remind her to stay grounded. Everything else was burning or elusive as smoke. 

“What am I doing, Swifty?” She said to the dog. He chuffed a low bark and then came over to lick her hand. “Is this a good idea? Maybe I should cancel.” The dog’s paw came up to stop the blonde’s arm from grabbing the phone. He whined. She sighed, rubbing his ears. 

“Okay, you win. I’ll go. But only this once.” The dog wagged his tail and jumped up to join her on the couch again. 

_Tomorrow._ Maybe this time would be different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!


	3. Small Comforts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Glimmer meet officially.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi All,
> 
> Sorry for the long delay in posting updates. As I mentioned in my notes for Glimmadora Week 3, I had a bad tendonitis flare towards the end of my last quarter and had to take some time off before I started my drawing and writing over this break. I did a lot of drawing stuff and then did Glimmadora Week 3 posts before getting to work on these updates, so I apologize again for taking so long. 
> 
> I am still working on the next chapter for Albatross, but it's in the works. I finished this chapter (and since I got on a roll, chapter 4-which I will post later because I'm still putting the final touches on it) first because there were some plot related issues I needed to figure out for Albatross before I updated it. 
> 
> I should have at least one update for Last Night on Earth and Albatross before my classes start up again on Monday. This break went faster than I thought it would. I'm disappointed I didn't get to put in as many updates as I wanted, but I hope the length of the ones I'm planning to finish will make up for that. 
> 
> This also kinda turned into 5K of me writing about dogs. But I'm not sorry about that. Dogs are awesome. 
> 
> My next break from classes will be in March, so I will hopefully have more stuff up during that break. 
> 
> Mild CW in this chapter: Emotional breakdown, coping with implied past trauma. 
> 
> Chapter 4 will be up soon! 
> 
> Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

Glimmer took her usual route to the side of the highway and only stopped when she realized she wasn’t even feeling better for having left the apartment. In the back of her mind, albeit foolishly, she thought a drive would help her to stop thinking about the blonde or Dean’s meddling. The actor meant well. Glimmer wouldn’t be roommates with them, let alone friends if they weren’t well intentioned. But, like Bow, Double Trouble didn’t exactly understand that Glimmer didn’t see finding a lover as a primary goal. Or rather, the idea of it seemed small in the rearview mirror in comparison to the races in front of her. 

The pink haired girl stopped the car and let it idle for a minute. She absently patted her pocket, then groaned, remembering she left her phone at home. As if leaving it behind made it any easier to cope with the endless requests she got from Bow, Dean, and possibly now, if she didn’t fuck it up, potential interactions with Adora. 

Glimmer turned the key to turn off the engine and the car grew cold. She wasn’t sure what possessed her to go to the Firehouse. Of all the ideas she’d had in last few days that one was the worst. Even if Adora intrigued Glimmer more than the racer cared to admit. 

The night was silent. Unlike a few nights ago when the siren ripped the air and gave the pink haired woman something to think about, or at least distract her mind with intermittent noises. Tonight, there was nothing between Glimmer and her thoughts, not a single thing to keep her thoughts from racing instead of her car. Why would Adora even respond? All Glimmer had done was put her name down on the pad at the Firehouse. It wouldn’t amount to anything. 

Glimmer sighed. Staying out here made things worse than if she’d stayed to listen to the snark that Double Trouble’s eyeballs seemed miraculously capable of communicating on command or just whenever the actor felt like commenting on her life. Dean never was quiet with their opinions. Glimmer knew that was what she simultaneously fond of in them and irritated with. The pink haired woman was nothing if not blunt and liked wearing her emotions and opinions on her sleeve. Dean was no different. Which made it hard to have an uneventful day when Glimmer was constantly surrounded by people who were honest and up front with their feelings. 

She wrinkled her nose. _Ugh, is that why I’m curious about Adora? She’s not blunt?_ Glimmer inwardly cringed at her incredibly simplistic source of interest. Well, it didn’t matter since nothing was going to happen with it. 

Glimmer drove home, her mind still running a million scenarios of what might happen if Adora did call back for some inexplicable reason. All of them were dismissed as the pink haired woman opened the door. She noted the darkened apartment and the glow of the clock above the stove in the kitchen reading 2:00am. Her eyes then went to the couch where another glow caught her attention. Her phone was on the couch and not where she’d left it. Glimmer’s teeth ground into each other, creating a small squeaking noise. The racer made her way to Dean’s door, shoving it open and then walking to the side of the bed, took one of the extra pillows and hit Dean with it. 

“Wagh!” Two piercing brown eyes met Glimmer’s lilac. “Oh. Hello to you too, Darling. To what do I owe the pleasure of this rude awakening?” 

Glimmer fixed a fake smile on her face. “Oh, you mean you _didn’t_ go into my phone and mess with my social life?” 

Double Trouble grunted and rubbed their head as they sat up a little. “It’s not my fault you never changed your password.” 

Glimmer’s glare turned to a smolder. “You shouldn’t even _know_ my password!” 

Double Trouble waved a hand dismissively. “Details, Darling. You aren’t good at hiding things and Bow gives me spark notes from your diary.” Glimmer jawed for a few minutes and then shot a glare towards her best friend’s door. She was going to have words with him. However, the racer didn’t have time to consider Bow’s punishment before Dean continued their casual explanation of their latest meddling. “As it happens, you are now set for a date.” 

Glimmer’s brain grew fuzzy as she tried to connect the dots. “Wait, wait…” She opened her texts to see a new number, which Dean had labeled as “Hot Firefighter Girlfriend” in Glimmer’s contacts and read the text conversation. 

“Oh, the date is at 8am. You’re welcome.” Double Trouble said with a smirk and a yawn. They barely had a chance to look smug before Glimmer hooked her arms under the mattress and upended it, landing her friend on the floor with a loud thumping sound. The noise drew Bow’s attention, and he was at the door in a matter of seconds. 

“Is everything okay? I heard noise…” He trailed off when he saw Dean on the floor and Glimmer looking as if she were about to set the mattress on fire with her eyeballs. 

“Dean, what did you do _this_ time?” 

\--------------------- 

Mornings were heavily regimented for Adora, regardless of whether it was a workday or a day off. Even before she started at the Fire Academy, she would get up early to go running and then later when she was old enough to get a membership, she would be the first person in the gym near her apartment besides the employees. She liked how quiet it was and she had the full selection of machines without waiting. 

On workdays she’d get up early enough to get a few miles of running in before heading off to the Firehouse. Since living on her own, she would only pause to make sure that Swift Wind had his fill of food and water for the day, then head off. On her days off the blonde would still wake up early, but instead of only doing a few miles she’d run double the distance with Swift Wind at her side. He enjoyed the off days more than Adora because of the added time to his walks or runs. This morning she decided to take him to the nearby park to let him run in circles, chasing some birds before they took off, earning excited barks. 

Adora had run a few miles before taking Swift Wind out but still she felt nervous. With her insides twisting and turning, she wanted to run more miles to see if it would sooth the anxiousness nipping at her. She wrapped and unwrapped Swift Wind’s leash around her knuckles. 

The firefighter knew that there wasn’t any logical reason for her to be as nervous as she was. This was simply a meeting over coffee for the blonde to apologize for the behavior of her Firehouse Family. Adora felt awful that Glimmer had been bombarded by the intensity of Adora’s fellow Firefighters. They were a good bunch of people, but they weren’t exactly good at toning down their protectiveness. For anyone outside of the Firehouse, it had to be uncomfortable. Right? Adora didn’t have any way to judge what was normal so she could only assume that anyone outside of her way of life would feel weird. 

Swift Wind interrupted her thoughts with a loud bark as he dropped a wet, slobbery stick at Adora’s feet. The dog’s tail wagged, and he continued to hop around until Adora let out a chuckle. “Okay, only a few throws though. Then we need to go home.” Swift Wind, if he’d understood, didn’t seem to acknowledge it in any way. He only tore after the stick when the blonde hurled it. 

Adora threw it a dozen times before finally finding it in herself to stop the excited panting dog and start heading home. It was hard to not feel caught up in Swift Wind’s energy when he was out here. Adora had to imagine the way he felt now was how she felt on her runs. It was one of the few times that she felt like her mind could be still. She envied the way that Swift Wind viewed the world. While the blonde woke up early to run and clear her mind, the dog would wake because he was excited to see what the day would offer. He wanted to go out and explore. 

Maybe there was a time when Adora felt the same way. If she did, it was far enough in the past that she couldn’t place the emotion anymore. “Come on, Swifty.” She clipped the leash back on and started back to the apartment. 

It didn’t take long for Adora to shower and clean up. She was used to keeping her routines brief for the sake of time before work. But unlike getting ready for work, where she had a set uniform, which she kept neat, tidy, and hung up in her closet. She had little else in the way of casual clothes. This meeting wasn’t professional, or work related, yet she felt like she had to look her best. This was an apology after all. She had to look sorry. _What did that even mean?_

Adora shifted some of her folded shirts aside on the center shelves in between her hanging bars. Her fingers brushed the balled up red fabric of a jacket tucked behind several other articles of clothing and she snapped back as if stung. She quickly grabbed a blue collared shirt with the Firehouse insignia and slammed the door shut, her breathing heavy. She dragged a hand over her face. _Get it together, Adora_. 

Her phone beeped. There wasn’t time to debate any longer. She had to meet Glimmer in an hour. Whether she was ready or not, this couldn’t wait. 

\---- 

If Glimmer had known earlier about Double Trouble’s scheming, she would have at least liked to ask Adora to meet later. But neither time nor Double Trouble seemed to be on her side now and Bow wasn’t any help. He’d managed to calm his best friend down long enough for her to sleep a bit before she had to get up again for her meeting or “date” as Double Trouble continued to call it. Bow was excited for her, but he also knew when to back off. 

“Look, maybe this is a good chance for you to make a new friend?” He offered. Glimmer both respected and resented his optimism. “Or something more?” _There_ it was. Bow couldn’t help being a romantic any more than Double Trouble could help getting involved in any form of drama, fiction or not. Their friends’ lives were just a show to click through and skip to the juiciest moments. 

“If Adora has any sense,” Glimmer muttered. “She’ll run far away from me and the rest of you.” Half of her statement had the annoyed jab at Double Trouble she intended, but the rest was the fear she had that Adora would see Glimmer’s life as the weird mess it was. Bow must have noticed too because set two gentle hands on his best friend’s shoulders and gave her a firm, but warmly supportive look. 

“Somehow I doubt she’d do that. But more importantly, you’re insulting my best friend and that’s going to stop right now.” Glimmer made to object when he turned her around and pushed her towards the door. “Now get out of here before you’re late.” 

\------------ 

Adora was early. She’d planned in more time to arrive than she realistically needed and walked into Bright Moon Brews half an hour before Glimmer was expected to show up. Normally the blonde felt better when she was early but now having to wait without anything to do was making her fidget with her coat zipper. Her hands shoved into her pockets to still her nerves or at least hide it better. After checking her phone’s clock for the tenth time she decided to get a drink while she waited. 

Once she had the warm cup between her hands, she felt better, it gave her something to hold. She found a seat close to the window where she could keep an eye on the door. The last thing she needed was to be surprised when Glimmer arrived. 

“Adora?” The blonde nearly leapt out of her skin. Her eyes snapped up, expecting to see Glimmer, not that Adora had a good sense of what the other looked like at this point. But instead, she found herself looking at the kindly face of her Fire Academy instructor. The older woman’s oversized glasses were unmistakable and with her bright pink dress she stood out even more in the café full of people in business attire. “How are you, Dearie?” 

Adora smiled, relaxing visibly. “I’m fine, Ms. Lavelle.” Razz clicked her tongue disapprovingly. 

“It’s Razz, Dearie. You’re not a student any longer.” Razz said, but still smiled at the blonde. “Are you off today?” 

“Yeah, for another two days.” Adora said brightly but the smile didn’t reach far enough because Razz frowned. 

“Some rest would be good for you, Adora. You work harder than any of my current students. Bah, they could learn a thing or two about diligence from you.” Razz grunted at the thought of her current students. Adora had to laugh at that. 

“I’m sure they’ll figure it out eventually. It took me a while, but I did.” Adora said. Razz shook her head. 

“You always had something special, Dearie. Something kept you going, even when everyone else gave up.” She scrutinized Adora as if the older woman were still attempting to figure out what it was that kept Adora going all this time. “If only they had what you do.” 

Adora shrugged. “I don’t know what it is. I wish I could tell you.” Razz waved her hand. 

“It’s no trouble, Dearie. I’ve taught more than enough students before you came along. I can handle some new recruits.” The older woman stopped then as the door to the café opened and a woman in a lilac-colored leather jacket walked in, her bright pink hair standing out even more than Razz’s dress. Adora’s blue eyes were magnetized to the woman. That couldn’t be Glimmer, could it? 

As if to answer the question, Adora’s phone buzzed. Glimmer ‘s text appeared on the lock screen: I’m here. 

Adora’s voice caught in her throat. Should she call out to Glimmer? The idea left her mind as Glimmer’s eyes came to rest on Adora. They went wide and then she made her way over. 

“Adora, right?” Glimmer said. Razz looked between the two, her brow raising. 

“Um, yeah. You’re Glimmer?” Adora said, standing nearly tipping over her cup. Razz shook her head and smiled at Adora. 

“I see you have company. If you have a chance, stop by the school, I’d love to have you give the new students some lessons.” Razz then turned and was gone. Adora was finally left with no other option than to try to meet Glimmer’s brilliantly bright eyes. 

“Can I sit down?” Glimmer asked, filling the silence that Razz left. Adora blinked. 

“Oh, yeah, of course. Please.” Adora kicked herself for answering the question more times than it warranted. Apparently, Glimmer didn’t seem to notice because she sat down and didn’t comment on the blonde’s nervous antics. “Do you, er, want a drink? I’m buying.” 

Glimmer shrugged off her jacket and hung it on the back of her chair. “You don’t have to do that.” Adora shook her head. She felt badly enough that Glimmer had come all this way. 

“I asked you out here, it’s the least I can do.” The firefighter insisted. Glimmer paused. She wasn’t used to strangers buying her drinks, especially not cute ones who were used to jumping through literal burning buildings for a living. But it was hard to say no to those blue eyes and Glimmer felt her brain grow a little fuzzy as she noted the way that the blue shirt that Adora had chosen complemented her toned body. 

“Okay, but only if you let me buy you something next time.” The words were out of Glimmer’s mouth before she could stop them. _Shit_ , she groaned inwardly. _Next time? Like there’d be a next time._

Adora tilted her head to the side. Glimmer had said “next time”. It seemed weird to say for an apology meeting. Did Glimmer expect another apology? “Sure, if you want to.” The response sounded so strange and Adora dealt with it by hurrying to the counter to get Glimmer’s drink. It wasn’t until she was in line that she realized she hadn’t asked the other what she wanted. 

Adora sighed. She walked back. “I…uh, forgot to ask you what you want.” Glimmer smirked. The blonde had looked so confident that even Glimmer had almost forgotten that they didn’t know what the other wanted. Somehow the pink haired woman was sure that Adora could have come back with any drink and somehow it would taste amazing. 

“What did you get?” Glimmer asked. 

“Just a plain latte. You wouldn’t like it.” Adora said. Glimmer raised an eyebrow but said nothing on the offhand comment. 

“I’ll have a vanilla latte.” Glimmer said. Adora smiled. 

“Coming right up.” She was off, leaving Glimmer to her thoughts. The racer wasn’t sure why Adora felt the need to add that comment about not liking her drink of choice. Unless someone had convinced the blonde that drinking plain lattes was a bad thing. The idea brought Glimmer’s eyes to the blonde as she stood at the pick-up counter, waiting dutifully for the drink. 

“Here you are,” Adora said, setting down the drink. Glimmer smiled. 

“Thank you.” The racer took a long drink and sighed in satisfaction. She was still not fully awake, but the caffeine was helping. 

“Any time.” Adora said warmly, the words casual and easy. Glimmer set the cup down. “So, I…um…” The blonde found herself tapping her own cup as she tried to find the words for the apology she’d been penning in her head. “I wanted to apologize for my Firehouse coworkers. They can come on a bit strong sometimes.” 

Glimmer took another drink, then shook her head. “I should be the one to apologize. I shouldn’t have gone into your workplace without any warning like that.” She sunk into her chair a little, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. 

Adora lifted an eyebrow. “If you don’t mind my asking, why _were_ you there?” The blonde drank more of her latte and then sighed when she found it was nearly empty. The sound the cup made as the last dregs were drunk left a smug smirk on Glimmer’s face. 

“Aha, now I get to buy _you_ a drink.” She almost sounded so triumphant that Adora could only stare in wonder and then let out a snorting laugh. Glimmer almost repeated the gesture but stopped herself. Though she did want to hear Adora laugh again. 

“You don’t have to.” Adora said, chewing her lip. The pink haired woman shrugged. 

“I _want_ to.” Glimmer replied simply and crossed her arms stubbornly. Adora could see this was a fight she wasn’t going to win. 

“Alright, if you tell me why you were in my Firehouse, you can buy me a coffee.” The blonde said. Glimmer wasn’t sure how well the story would go over with Adora, but stubbornness won over in the end. 

“You drive a hard bargain, but I accept.” Glimmer said. Adora watched as Glimmer made her way to the counter. When she returned, she had more than just coffee with her. The cup was set in front of Adora and Glimmer set a plate with cake in front of her own place. 

Noticing the blonde’s gaze, Glimmer smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I didn’t get much of a chance to eat before I left this morning.” 

Adora shook her head. “I’m sorry I asked you to come out so early.” Glimmer blinked. Even Bow and Double Trouble didn’t really apologize for waking her up early. 

“Don’t worry about it. My roommates are always getting me up early anyways.” The pink haired woman said with a small eye roll. Adora continued to look concerned. 

“I won’t ask you to do that again.” Glimmer froze midway through eating a piece of the cake. It was hard to say what was going on behind those blue eyes, but it was clear that Adora wasn’t joking around when she made her statement. 

Glimmer swallowed and shook her head. “It’s fine, really.” The moment passed with another minute of silence before Glimmer decided to change the subject. “So, the reason I went to the Firehouse was to look for you.” 

Adora didn’t seem to be expecting that because she nearly spat out her drink. “Me? Why would you be looking for me?” She genuinely didn’t appear to think anyone would want to look for her. Glimmer watched as the blonde’s brow creased multiple times as she tried to figure out what on Earth could have given Glimmer reason to go to the Firehouse looking for Adora of all people. 

“Er…” Glimmer wondered if Bow asking Scorpia about the blonde made them seem like they were creepy or something. “I was curious after I saw you at the diner. Sorry if that’s weird.” 

Adora once more blinked in confusion. This wasn’t just about an apology? Her brain ran mad circles attempting to find the correct response for that. Not only had her Firehouse Family not scared Glimmer off, but she seemed interested in Adora? “At the diner?” 

“You were there picking up some food. Scorpia told me you worked at the Firehouse. Well, not me, Bow, my best friend, but yeah. He asked…” Glimmer was growing more and more flustered. “Sorry, can I start over?” 

Adora stared for a moment and then burst out laughing again. Glimmer was bewildered. Did she mess up? There was moment while Adora continued laughing and then wiped her eyes. “I guess we both should.” Glimmer sighed in relief. Their first attempt to connect may not have been successful, but it was clear that neither one was scared off by it. Adora was still here, wasn’t she? 

“The Thaymor Food Festival is tomorrow if you’d like to go?” Glimmer offered. Adora remembered Scorpia talking about the festivals. All the nerves in the blonde’s body tensed and then released as she thought about it. 

“Oh, I don’t know.” Adora said quietly. When her eyes met Glimmer’s there was a certain amount of hopefulness there that felt strange. “I don’t have anyone to watch Swift Wind…” When Glimmer’s brow lifted questioningly, the blonde hurriedly explained, “My dog. I don’t know if I can leave him by himself.” It wasn’t the worst excuse, especially not when it was true. Adora didn’t know what was stopping her from going to the festival. It’s not as if she didn’t like festivals. Or at least she didn’t think so. 

“You have a dog?” Glimmer’s eyes lit up once again. Adora could only stare. It seemed like everything this woman did made her entire body glow. 

“Yeah, he’s basically my family. We’ve been together a long time.” Adora said. Glimmer nodded. When she didn’t comment, Adora continued. “I guess you could say we’re closer because we were both adopted.” 

Glimmer thought for a minute. “Well, why don’t you bring him with? There’s a park near the festival and I can ask my best friend to watch Swift Wind for us. Bow works at a Dog Daycare so I’m sure he won’t mind. ” 

Adora bit her lip. When the blonde didn’t respond, Glimmer smiled and set a hand on Adora’s. “Hey, if you don’t feel comfortable, just tell me.” The touch was unexpected but somehow the firefighter didn’t feel like she had to withdraw immediately. 

Glimmer’s eyes flicked to the blonde’s wrist just as Adora gently eased back. There was a darker patch of skin just under the shirt cuff that Glimmer swore looked burned. Given the blonde’s line of work, it wouldn’t have surprised Glimmer if Adora had a few stray burn marks. But it didn’t feel right somehow. The racer swallowed the strange protective impulse and returned her attention to the blonde. 

Adora’s fingers were drumming absently on her cup. Glimmer’s insides fought between wanting to floor the pedals and try every option to get the firefighter to come along. But she could tell that wasn’t going to work. “We could take him for a walk?” Glimmer said. 

Adora was taken aback. Glimmer certainly didn’t look as if she’d enjoy the activity. Walking a dog wasn’t for everyone and it required a certain amount of patience. But the gesture wasn’t lost on the blonde. 

“Are you sure you want to just take my dog on a walk?” Adora repeated the words. She wasn’t entirely convinced that Glimmer wanted to go. The last thing the firefighter wanted was to put Glimmer through anything uncomfortable after the Firehouse incident. 

“I’m sure I want to get to know you better.” Glimmer answered. “And if Swift Wind is important to you, then I should get to know him too.” She didn’t have any animals to speak of, but Glimmer did understand how important family was. That was enough. Adora’s eyes widened and her fingers dropped to the table, relief spreading through her body. 

“I usually take Swifty out to the park in the morning, but I can take him to the park later tomorrow so you can come with.” Adora said. “I’ll bring coffee.” The magic words. Glimmer wasn’t sure Adora was real or not. A cute girl with a dog and coffee? Nope, not real. 

Glimmer’s phone buzzed then. She didn’t fully register it but saw there were two texts. 

_Dad: You okay, Kiddo? We haven’t caught up in a while. Dinner tomorrow night?_

_Dean: Next race is Saturday. How’s your date?_ 😉 

“That sounds great, Adora.” Glimmer said. The blonde smiled and then texted Glimmer an address. 

“This is the park we usually go to. You can meet us there. If you want to.” The firefighter still doubted whether Glimmer would show up. She’d come to the coffee shop, but that was different. 

Glimmer’s phone buzzed again. Dean’s ID flashed on the screen. 

_Dean: I hope you aren’t just talking. Time’s ticking._

_Glimmer: The only time I’m concerned with is how long it takes to cross the finish line on Saturday._

_Dean: Or how long it takes for Adora to make you-_

Glimmer briefly wondered how pissed Bow would be if she did crush Double Trouble under their own mattress if they kept this up. The racer sighed and typed out a quick response before looking up at Adora. 

The racer muted Double Trouble and found herself flushing at the smile on Adora’s face. “Uh, sorry, my roommate is texting me. They’re a little…much.” 

“It’s nice that they care though.” Adora said. Glimmer resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _Care_ was a funny way to say that Double Trouble liked to cause chaos. But Glimmer doubted that Adora would want to know about that. In fact, the racer didn’t want Adora anywhere near Double Trouble if it could be helped. The suppressed eye roll almost made the racer twitchy. She wasn’t sure how Adora would react to the idea that Glimmer wanted to literally throw her roommate out the window sometimes. 

The blonde’s phone then took its turn to beep. “Oh, wow, is that the time?” Glimmer checked her phone. It was a little after ten. They’d been talking for about two hours. Yet, it felt like they’d just walked in the door. 

“I need to get home to Swifty.” Adora said. Glimmer tried not to look disappointed at Adora’s abrupt statement and her rush to throw away her empty cups. She paused, catching Glimmer’s expression. “Sorry, I want to stay… but…” 

The racer shook her head, fixing a smile on her face. “No, no, I get it. You should go. Swifty comes first.” 

Adora grinned. “Thank you for being so understanding.” She shrugged on her jacket. “I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” 

Glimmer’s expression brightened at the mention of their meeting. At least this wouldn’t be the last time they’d get to see each other. “Yeah, tomorrow. Sounds good.” The words came out awkwardly. The racer was trying to hide the “Can’t wait” that threatened to erupt or the other things she wished she could slow down enough to say. But before she could, Adora flashed a lopsided grin and as soon as the door opened and shut behind her, the warmth of the whole conversation was gone. Glimmer settled back into her chair, feeling the hard wood press against her back. 

Her eyes went back down to her phone. She pulled up her muted conversation with Dean and unmuted it. 

_Glimmer: Got any races for me today?_

There was barely any pause before the actor replied. _Dean: Oh, did the date go that badly?_

_Glimmer: I just need to drive._

Dean: If you say so, Darling. I’ll see what I can find. 

Glimmer then set her phone down. Part of her wanted to text her father back and tell him she was doing great. That dinner was exactly what she needed. But she knew it was a lie. Micah was incredibly understanding, but he wasn’t the type to push. If Glimmer said she was fine he’d believe her. 

At least it allowed Glimmer the space to drive without commentary. She typed out a response: _Sure, Dad. Sounds good._

At the same time Dean’s response came through: _Got you a race at Moonstone Highway. You sure you want to do this?_

Glimmer dumped her trash. She’d never been so sure of anything in her whole life. Racing had its highs and lows, but it was consistent. It was what she needed. 

She texted back: _Yeah, I’m good._

\------ 

Adora took Swift Wind out for a long walk when she came home and then when she couldn’t stop staring at the clock on the wall, gathered up her exercise clothes and went outside for a run. 

There weren’t many people out this late at night, so the blonde decided to take a longer route through the park and then over the bridge that overlooked the highway. She stopped, breathing heavy and her legs burning. A harsh grinding screech cut through the air and she looked down to see two cars shooting across the now empty highway. 

Her eyes narrowed as she watched the cars disappear into the night, only their taillights visible at the speed they were going. A grunt escaped her, and she wiped moisture from her forehead, then from her eyes. 

The adrenaline was gone, and she knew the run wasn’t what she wanted or needed now. She just wanted to be home with Swift Wind. She started back down the stairs to the park. When she reached the bottom of the steps, the cars zipped past again on their return loop. She turned up her music and nearly tripped as she fast walked away from the highway. 

“Are you okay?” Adora looked up to see a tall brown skinned man with short blackish brown hair standing behind her. He wore a shirt with a cartoon dog hugging a heart that said “A Pawful of Love Doggie Daycare” At his side was a dog who looked uncannily like Swift Wind, a Foxhound mix with a shaggier looking coat than Swift Wind, but still enough to make Adora stop in her tracks. 

“I…can I pet your dog?” Adora asked. The man seemed surprised by the request but shook his head. 

“Oh sure, go ahead. This isn’t my dog though. He’s just one of the dogs I take care of for work. But he’s a sweetheart.” The man looked down at the dog and scratched the ears in the right spot. Adora smiled and held out her hand. The dog approached, sniffing and then offered his head for more scratching. The blonde was all too happy to oblige. It gave her something to focus on. She was entirely unaware of the concerned look that the man was giving her. 

“Um, I’m sorry if this seems too personal, but is everything okay? Normally when people ask to pet Ray, they’re pretty excited.” Adora didn’t respond, leaving the man to worry. “I’m Bow by the way.” 

Adora took a deep breath and smiled faintly at the man. “I’m Adora.” The surprise that crossed his face was enough to make the blonde wonder if she’d said something wrong. Bow hadn’t noticed it in the dark at first, but this had to be the same woman that Glimmer was interested in. 

“So, Adora,” Bow said as she continued to absently scratch Ray’s ears. “You seem very comfortable with dogs.” 

The blonde shrugged. “I have one at home. He actually looks a lot like Ray.” Bow nodded. If he knew anything about parenting dogs, it was that people loved seeing their pups in other dogs. Familiarity was a comfort. 

“Ray here was a stray. I found him and fostered him until someone offered to adopt him. It was nice seeing him go to a good home. He still comes to visit at the Daycare too. Don’t you, Bud?” The dog vigorously wagged his tail at being the center of Bow’s attention. 

“I know that feeling.” Adora said. Her blue eyes met the round brown of Ray and he nuzzled her hand for more scratches. Bow laughed. 

“He’ll keep asking if you let him.” The man said. “We should let you get on with your run.” 

Adora sighed. “I think I’m done for the night.” She quickly held up her hands when she saw the crease in Bow’s brow. “But I’m okay. Really.” 

Bow wasn’t convinced but he also didn’t know this woman well enough to argue the point. “Alright. Well, if you ever need someone to look after your pup, give me a call.” The man held out a card with the same logo that was on his shirt. 

“Thank you, Bow.” Adora said. “I’m sorry for ruining your evening walk.” The words hurt more than they soothed any imaginary sense of the night Bow had lost. If anything, he felt like she’d had her night ruined by some source he didn’t know about. 

“Sure thing.” Bow said and clicked his tongue. “Come on, Ray.” The two walked off in the opposite direction of Adora, leaving the blonde to stare blanky at the fence between the highway and the park. 

Without another glance she walked home and as soon as she opened the door Swift Wind tackled her. She hugged her dog and finally let loose the sobs she hadn’t known she’d been hiding into his fur. 

\-------- 

Glimmer was whistling as she half walked, and half skipped from her car to the front door of the apartment. The lights were surprisingly on. She looked to the couch for Dean. But she found Bow sitting there instead, still in his work clothes. 

“We need to talk.”


	4. The Driver's Shuffle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Glimmer meet at the park. Glimmer has dinner with her Dad and takes an unplanned trip down memory lane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey All,
> 
> Happy New Year! 
> 
> This will be the last chapter updated for "Burning Ground" before I begin classes on Monday. Updates will resume when my Winter quarter ends in March. 
> 
> This chapter is a bit of an emotional ride. But I'm pretty happy with how it came out. We're getting into some of Glimmer's backstory here. I don't think there's anything here I need to content warn about, but if you see something and you want me to mark it, let me know. 
> 
> Again, this story was heavily inspired by Say_Anything and Lunarium Parakeet (EtherianFrigateBird')s "No Strings Attached" so I highly recommend reading that if you haven't already while I'm on my college quarter. You can read it here: ["No Strings Attached"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23173117/chapters/55465756)
> 
> "Albatross" and "Last Night on Earth" will be updating over the course of the next few days, so I appreciate your patience while I finish those chapters up. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!

Glimmer could only stare at her best friend as he patted the couch. She was sure he intended it as a welcoming gesture, but she knew that look he was wearing all too well. The way he’d said, “We need to talk,” no matter how soft his voice was would always stall any thoughts in their tracks, good or bad. 

“Okaay…” She said, drawling the word into a sarcastic question. “What’s up?” After so many years of friendship Glimmer didn’t need any reminders that everything Bow did was in the name of care and love. So, when he opened his mouth, she expected him to tell her off for doing yet another race. It didn’t really matter how exactly he found out, though the expression she had after a good run was usually fairly evident. 

“It’s about Adora.” Bow said. Glimmer blinked and then furrowed her brow. There wasn’t anything to object to yet in this conversation, yet she felt the urge to object to it before it even began. 

“What about her?” Glimmer asked, fixing her best friend with a firm stare. Bow sighed. 

“I think I ran into her while I was out walking Ray.” Bow chewed on his lip. “She seemed… upset.” 

Glimmer’s body tensed. When they’d parted at the café Adora had seemed fine. She was a little jittery, but she didn’t appear upset. Confusion was replaced by a head shake. 

“Are you sure it was her, Bow? I mean, this is a big city. It could have been anyone.” Glimmer said. She wanted to believe it was someone else. But Bow’s expression shoved that possibility to the side. 

“I recognized her from the diner. It was hard to see in the dark, but I’m sure it was her. Does she have a dog?” The pink haired woman’s hands snapped back from their position on her knees. She clenched the edges of the couch. 

“She mentioned having one when we met at the café. Why?” Glimmer’s voice was faint. 

“Then I think it was Adora. She talked about her dog a bunch, he seemed important.” Bow set a hand on Glimmer’s shoulder. “I guess I’m just wondering if something happened at the café?” 

Glimmer shook her head. “We made plans to meet up tomorrow.” Her mind searched endlessly through their exchange at Bright Moon Brews, but she couldn’t come up with any reason why Adora would have been upset. “Did I already-” 

“No, you didn’t.” Bow assured her. “I think whatever was bothering her happened in the park. Or close to it. I’m not sure.” Glimmer sighed but smiled weakly at Bow. 

“I’m glad you were there to talk to her at least.” 

“It’s not like I could leave her alone like that.” The man slumped back on the couch. “I gave her my card.” 

Glimmer blinked. “And she took it?” 

“Yeah, why?” 

“When I offered to take her to the festival tomorrow, she didn’t seem to want to go because she had to leave Swift Wind at home alone. So, I suggested you take care of him. Didn’t work.” She shook her head and gave Bow a friendly punch in the shoulder. “You sure you don’t have some magical powers or something?” 

The man blew an exasperated sigh. “Not unless getting covered in dog slobber and smelling like dog shit is a power.” They laughed and decided to call it a night. Both said their good nights and went their respective rooms. Even when she was lying in her bed, finally under the covers, Glimmer couldn’t help wondering what had happened to Adora after she’d left. 

The racer tucked one arm behind her head and traced imaginary racetracks or routes on the ceiling. It was the equivalent of counting sheep when she was growing up. Her mother had always said that Glimmer’s mind like a car engine, full of energy and always ready to go. At the end of each day Angella would ask Glimmer when the mechanic would come by to install some brakes. The small girl would always giggle and say, “Brakes are for the losers. I’m a winner.” 

Micah would take that moment to chime in with a laugh, “I think brakes are important, Kiddo. It’s important to win, but it’s more important to be safe.” He kissed Angella’s cheek and walked out. Glimmer folded her arms across her chest and pouted. ' 

“Safe is boring,” The older Glimmer repeated to the silent room, remembering the words she’d said so many years ago. “Safe doesn’t finish the race.” 

\---- 

Glimmer couldn’t wait. She spent most of the day in her history class sneaking glances at the latest issue of Racer’s Weekly. It was by far more interesting than anything her teacher had to say. But that didn’t stop Bow from prodding her with his pencil or when that failed, his foot to get her attention. 

“What?” She said, annoyance finally getting to her. Her best friend simply jerked his head to the front of the room. 

“I see I’ve lost you, Ms. Dae Kim. Care to illuminate the class on what I’ve been talking about for the last hour?” Glimmer glared at her teacher, a grouchy man with a permanent scowl hidden beneath his scratchy thick beard named Mr. Grizzlor. She wasn’t sure if that was his name or if that was simply what the students called him. Either way he looked and acted like an angry bear who had been waiting to hibernate but was constantly stalled by students who kept taking his stored food. 

“Uh… a bunch of people doing stuff?” Glimmer guessed. Bow groaned into his hands. Grizzlor did not look amused but the rest of the class laughed. “Historical stuff?” 

Glimmmer hadn’t thought it possible, but Grizzlor looked like he was about to burst a vein at her comment. She genuinely had no idea what he’d been talking about. As far as she was concerned, the information in her magazine was more important. She didn’t plan on becoming a historian after all. 

“You won’t find it so funny to review this for tomorrow’s test. I expect you all to be prepared.” Grizzlor fixated Glimmer with a long stare. “And to give detailed answers.” The teen was about to object when the bell rang. Bow pulled her out of the room before she could say anything further. 

When they’d reached their lockers, Bow turned to his friend. “What were you thinking? You know Grizzlor takes any opportunity to make students miserable.” 

Glimmer waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. I’ll just cram tonight.” Bow sighed and put a hand on her shoulder to get her full attention. The teen hugged the magazine to her chest. 

“You need to study, Glimmer. What if you can’t become a driver? That’s not realistic.” Bow wanted to support her. But he also couldn’t help but think about the values his fathers had instilled in him. 

“This is all I need, Bow.” She shut her locker and changed the subject. “Are you coming by after school? Dad’s making dinner.” She grinned, knowing that Bow had a weakness for Micah’s cooking. The boy didn’t like that Glimmer was avoiding the subject, but he also knew that he couldn’t change her mind now. 

“I’ll be there.” He affirmed. 

Dinner at Glimmer’s house was always a lively affair. Micah was cooking, which meant that Angella, Glimmer’s mother, wouldn’t make an appearance or would be home late. They were almost finished with all the dishes before the door opened. In walked Angella, her lilac jacket with wings on the back standing out in the dim lighting of the front hall. 

“Mom!” Glimmer called and grabbed her magazine and nearly knocking over her plate as she scrambled to the door. “I read the latest issue. Can you show me how to drive?” 

Angella lifted a brow at Micah. He shrugged. “Give your mother a minute, Kiddo. She needs to eat too.” The older woman hugged her daughter. 

“We’ll talk about it when you’re old enough for your permit, okay?” Angella said and started walking to the table. “Hello, Bow. How are your fathers?” 

“They’re fine, Ma’am.” He smiled at her. Glimmer grunted. He elbowed his best friend/ This conversation had been going on for as long as he could remember. Angella was running out of excuses to delay Glimmer’s lessons. 

“I’m almost fifteen, Mom.” 

The older woman couldn’t deny that Glimmer was close to driving age. It wasn’t something that any parent looked forward to. But there was no running from the fact that Glimmer wanted to be closer to her mother. “I’ll talk it over with your father. Later.” She said and the teen seemed to accept the answer because she sat back down and hummed in anticipation. 

Later in her bedroom Bow attempted to get his best friend to focus on her studying, but ultimately gave up when he saw that she was preoccupied with the magazine. 

“Glimmer, we should really study.” Bow urged. Glimmer rolled onto her back, the magazine on her face. 

“I can’t, Bow. I want to start driving. It’s like, I only see my Mom when she’s in a race on TV or something.” She flipped over, shaking the bed, and spilling her textbooks and study materials onto the floor. “I have to catch up.” 

“And you also need to pass high school.” Bow pointed out, but he’d lost her. The other teen was chewing on the end of her pen as she flipped through the magazine again. Maybe when Angella took Glimmer driving, things would change. 

The door opened to reveal Micah. “Glimmer, come talk with us?” He nodded to Bow. “Please excuse her for a minute.” The boy returned the nod. 

“No problem, Mr. Dae Kim.” 

The three gathered in the dining room where Angella was still finishing her dinner. Glimmer looked between her parents. “We’ve talked it over and your father will take you driving when you get your permit.” 

Glimmer’s face fell. “But, Mom, can’t you teach me?” 

Angella set down her fork, sighing. Micah laid a hand on her shoulder. “Your Mother has a lot to do, Glimmer.” He smiled. “I’ll try to make up for it.” 

The teen tasted nothing but sourness in her mouth. “Right. Yeah.” She walked out and Micah and Angella exchanged looks. 

“Should I try to make the time?” Angella asked. Micah’s brow creased. He knew that her work left little time for her to see her family as it was. 

“I don’t want you running yourself ragged, Love. Glimmer will understand.” Micah said. Upstairs Glimmer trudged into the room and picked up her textbook. 

“So, did they say yes?” Bow asked. 

“Dad said he’d teach me.” Glimmer muttered. Bow nudged her. 

“That’s good, right? I mean, you get to drive.” He tried for an encouraging smile. Glimmer snorted derisively. 

“Let’s just study.” She chucked the magazine onto the bed. The two spent the rest of the evening in silence. It was late when one of Bow’s Dads showed up to pick him up. He tried to say goodbye to Glimmer, but she was determinedly staring at the same page in her textbook that she had been for the last hour or so. 

“I’ll see you in school tomorrow.” Bow said. Glimmer didn’t respond. As soon as the door closed, she slammed the book shut. There had to be a way to get her mother to teach her. How else was she going to learn? 

“Speed is for winners.” Glimmer said out loud to herself. It was the mantra her mother always said before and after her races. The teen was beginning to wonder if that was all for show. 

\---- 

When Adora woke up she realized she’d passed out on the couch without changing from her exercise clothes. Swift Wind was snuggled up against her, his head on her chest. At her stirring, his big brown eyes stared, and he let out a low whine. 

“Yeah, me too.” She said quietly, scratching his ears. She’d slept, but she barely felt rested. She slid around to put her feet on the floor. A shower would be good now. She looked at the digital clock sitting on the end table by the couch, then shook her head. It was early in the morning, but she still had time to shower and feed Swift Wind before she met up with Glimmer. 

The heat of the shower felt nice, but she still could feel the weariness from the night before sticking to her skin even after the sweat had washed away. It had been a while since she’d felt that drained. Maybe this was a mistake. She never moved this fast. Something about Glimmer felt quick, decisive, and it was a new feeling for the blonde. Or an old one she’d tucked away so long ago it barely rung any bells of familiarity. 

When she was at work everything was planned out. Everyone had their set job. It made the chaotic situations feel safer. Adora knew it wasn’t a safe job by any means. But it was one she was used to. 

Before heading to the park, Adora picked up two coffees from Bright Moon Brews. Then she walked to the park and sat on the bench while Swift Wind chased more birds. 

Normally she’d walk around and keep an eye on the energetic dog, but she could almost feel herself sinking into the bench, her body heavy. She’d downed most of the coffee by the time Glimmer arrived. 

“Glimmer, you made it.” Adora offered the other woman a smile that felt almost as weighted as the hand that waved the pink haired woman over. 

“And you brought coffee.” Glimmer noted with an appreciative nod. Adora held out the cup. 

“I said I would.” The blonde shrugged. Glimmer lifted her cup in a mock cheers motion. 

“Well, it’s very appreciated.” She took the seat next to Adora, looking over at Swift Wind, who was now barking at some squirrels. He then started sniffing the ground intently. 

“So that’s Swift Wind?” Glimmer asked. Adora nodded. “How did you end up adopting him?” 

The blonde followed the dog’s antics before returning her attention to Glimmer. “When I first moved out here, I didn’t know anyone. One of my coworkers suggested I look into adopting a dog. So, I went to a local shelter and I knew he was the right one for me when I met him. It was like we had an immediate bond. I can’t explain it.” 

Glimmer tilted her head as she caught the warm blue eyes of the blonde as they took in the dog. There was a passion there that Glimmer admired. Adora’s entire existence was about dedication it seemed. When Glimmer drove, it was a strong emotion, but it wasn’t the kind that filled her with inspiration. It was more reflexive at this point. 

Glimmer felt something push at her knee and saw that Swift Wind had brought her a stick. Adora leaned over and picked it up. “Sorry, he gets pushy about playing.” 

The pink haired woman shook her head. “I can throw it.” She took the stick and hurled it as far as she could. Swift Wind was off with a loud bark, sprinting across the grass. 

“Okay, my turn to ask questions I guess.” Adora said as Swift Wind came trotting back, nosing his parent as he dropped the wet stick onto her lap. If Adora cared if her pants were covered in slobber, she didn’t show it. She simply picked up the stick and threw it every time the dog brought it back. “You know a lot about me. Or some things. Tell me about you.” 

Glimmer took a long drink of her coffee and smiled at the blonde. “What do you want to know?” _What’s an amazing woman like you doing with me?_ Adora thought. 

“You mentioned you had a best friend, what’s he like?” The firefighter said. Glimmer had to stop herself from saying “You met him.” The conversation with Bow from that morning was still fresh on her mind. Even if Adora had talked to Bow then it was likely that she didn’t realize it was him. 

“Bow and I have been friends since we were kids. I feel like we’re so close we can almost sense each other’s thoughts.” Glimmer said. “I don’t have to explain things to him. It’s nice.” 

Adora nodded. “That does sound nice. And he works with dogs?” 

“Yeah. He’s been in love with them since forever. Stuffed dogs when we were kids, books on dogs, and finally his Dads got him a dog when he was like ten.” Glimmer smiled at the memory. “It was the happiest I’d seen him at that point.” 

Glimmer turned her head, expecting Adora to be staring somewhere else, but she was staring intently at the racer, her head leaning on one hand, a smile on her face as she listened to Glimmer talk passionately about her best friend. The pink haired woman suddenly found herself feeling a little self-conscious. The way the blonde was staring was full of a small amount of fondness that the racer wasn’t sure she’d earned. 

“You really care about him.” Adora said quietly. Glimmer heard the small pensive dip at the end of that sentence, an unreadable emotion tucked beneath the layers of words. 

“Hard not to. Bow is honestly one of the sweetest people I know.” Glimmer said. She took her turn at throwing Swift Wind’s stick this time. The dog started to play tug of war. Adora rose to the dog’s initiation and grabbed the stick, running with the dog at her heels. She laughed and dodged, running away from him in each direction. Each feint was met with more barking and hopping on Swift Wind’s part. Her smile was broad, and her golden locks blew freely in the wind. Glimmer watched, her mind once more returning to the conversation from this morning. 

In that moment it seemed like the blonde didn’t have a care in the world. It was a pure moment. What could have hurt Adora so much that she had to lean on a stranger? Glimmer didn’t want to consider what that could be. But now that she’d seen Adora so happy, so carefree, it was hard to feel anything but a need to shield the blonde. 

Swift Wind let out a howl and the racer looked up to see Adora play wrestling the dog on the ground. When she stood up, she was covered in dirt and some grass and leaves stuck to her clothes. She came back, her cheeks somewhat flushed, and still grinning. She gave Swift Wind a good scratch and affectionately ruffled his ears. 

“Oh, you have a-” Glimmer said, reaching to pull a leaf from the blonde’s hair. As Glimmer pulled her hand back, her hand brushed the firefighter’s cheek, causing her to already flushed face to redden further. “Leaf.” 

The racer held the leaf up and suddenly she felt ridiculous for just holding it. “Thanks. It’s a re-leaf to have that out.” It took Glimmer a second to realize the blonde had made such a cringe worthy joke. 

“You did _not_ just make that joke.” Glimmer said, a look of mock offense on her face. Adora nudged the other woman. 

“Ah, I be-leaf it was stuck in my hair.” Glimmer groaned and shoved Adora. The playful gesture drew a bark from Swift Wind. He crouched down, his tail wagging. 

“You’re on, Swifty.” Glimmer said and started running, the dog hot on her heels. Adora chuckled. Eventually the dog had similarly wrestled the racer to the ground, and she returned. 

“I get to return to favor.” Adora said, and before Glimmer could question the statement, the firefighter pulled a leaf of her own from the racer’s pink hair. Her breath caught as the two blue eyes with worlds in them that Glimmer wanted to explore with each passing minute came to rest on the racer’s own. 

“Um, thanks.” Glimmer sputtered. Adora’s mouth twisted into a confident grin. She softened her expression. 

“I should thank you for coming out here. It means a lot.” Adora said. “I had a good time. And I know Swifty did too.” 

Glimmer smiled. “I had fun too.” She wanted to ask Adora about the other night. But the need to keep that smile on the blonde’s face dominated Glimmer’s mind. The two spent the next hour talking about everything but the other night. There were small moments when Glimmer knew she should have asked. Or when she felt Bow would have told her to ask. If for no other reason than to make sure the blonde was okay. But Bow always was better at these sorts of things than Glimmer had been. 

“I should get going.” Adora said, checking the time on her phone. “I’ve got to get back to work tomorrow.”' 

Glimmer nodded. “Right, yeah, you should go home and rest.” Adora smiled and clipped Swift Wind’s leash on. The two walked as far as the crosswalk by the entrance to the park. 

“Can I walk you anywhere?” Adora asked, the concern and care plain as the dirt staining her clothes. There was a purity to it that Glimmer almost couldn’t take. “I feel bad leaving you to go home by yourself.” 

Glimmer couldn’t help the smile that crept onto her face. “I’ll be okay, Adora.” The blonde wrapped and unwrapped the slack from the leash around her hand. 

“Are you sure?” Glimmer nodded. When the blonde didn’t look convinced, the racer quickly fished out a compromise. 

“If you want to, you can walk me to the bus stop. I’ll be okay from there.” Glimmer normally drove most places, but the park didn’t have many parking spaces nearby. The two walked to the stop in relative silence. 

“Well, this is me.” Glimmer said as the bus approached. “I’ll text you. Take care at work.” 

Adora smiled. “Maybe next time I can meet Bow.” Glimmer felt her stomach twist at the words. “I’d love to meet him.” 

“I’ll ask him next time you’re off.” Glimmer said. The bus groaned to a stop and the racer stepped on board. “See you, Adora.” 

“Bye, Glimmer.” Adora watched the bus until it vanished down the street, its lights a blur in the early evening light. 

\----- 

Glimmer showered and changed before she got into her car to drive to dinner with Micah. She approached the house, looking up at the darkened windows. Only the ones on the ground floor where the kitchen was seemed to be turned on. 

“Hey Kiddo,” Micah said, hugging Glimmer when he opened the door. The racer returned the hug then stood awkwardly in the front hall as her father closed the door. “I made your favorite.” 

“Thanks, Dad.” Glimmer said and followed Micah into the kitchen. She stopped in the living room. Up on the mantlepiece over the fireplace was a photo of her mother. No matter how many times Glimmer looked at it, the photo always seemed like it was staring down at her. 

She turned away and distracted herself by offering to set the table. It didn’t take long with only two people. Bow occasionally joined them, which Glimmer preferred. But tonight, the racer had her father’s attention all to herself. 

“You drove here?” Micah said, settling into his chair as soon as the serving dishes were on the table. The racer took that moment to shove a bunch of pasta into her mouth. If Micah noticed she’d avoided the question, he didn’t comment on it. “How is Bow?” 

Glimmer sighed. “He’s fine. Still working at the Dog Daycare.” 

“That’s good. He always liked dogs.” Micah said and resumed eating. Glimmer kept waiting for Micah to comment on the driving again or to say something about how he thought she was doing. Instead of even continuing the previous topic, the man calmly said, “Do you want more meatballs? I made extra.” 

Glimmer couldn’t find the words, so she nodded wordlessly. Her fingers curled around her fork. “Dad.” 

“And here we are.” Micah said and scooped several meatballs into Glimmer’s bowl. The racer stared at them. She pushed them around before forcing herself to eat them. “So, what were you up to today?” 

Glimmer looked up. “I met up with a friend.” 

“Bow?” Micah asked. The racer didn’t know if her father thought she only had one friend or if it was just that Glimmer only ever talked about Bow. 

“No, she’s a new, uh, friend.” Glimmer said, stabbing her meatball through to the plate with a clinking noise. Micah sat back. 

“Glimmer, Honey, is something wrong?” Glimmer chewed her lip. On the one hand, there were several answers, the most direct of which was _yes_ , to Micah’s question. On the other hand, this was the last thing Glimmer wanted to talk about. 

“I’m going to the bathroom.” The racer said and was up before Micah could comment. She fast walked to the bathroom and shut the door. 

\---- 

Glimmer stood in front of the sink on the stool, a broad grin on her face as she looked over the little cars that decorated the wallpaper and the steering wheel at the top of the mirror. She made motor noises and energetically twisted her hands in a steering motion. 

“Hey, are you getting ready for bed or driving to the next city?” Micah said, a smile on his face at Glimmer’s acting. He came in and ruffled the six-year old’s hair. 

“Hey, I was driving, Dad. You just made me crash!” Micah stood back, holding his hands up. 

“Ha, ha. I’ll let you finish your drive. But don’t forget to brush your teeth before you park, okay?” 

“Okay, Dad!” 

\---- 

Glimmer stared at the gray wall and the plain black frame surrounding the mirror. She sighed as she washed her hands, hanging her head. She exited the bathroom, her heart pounding as she listened to the clanking of plates as Micah continued eating. Or maybe he was cleaning up after Glimmer’s abrupt exit. 

She couldn’t do this. Her feet carried her to the door, but as her hand griped the knob, she heard the floorboards creak. 

“Glimmer, are you leaving? I made dessert.” Micah said. The racer couldn’t look back at him. “I can pack up the rest of the meatballs for you.” 

“I’m okay, Dad. I just need to get home. Sorry.” Glimmer walked out, her fingers twitching. She wanted to text Double Trouble. A race would feel good right now. As she started the car she sighed, giving in once again. 

She could outrun this. Twist the dial, grip the wheel, and slam the pedal until her foot grew numb. If she was in her car, if she was burning up the gravel, no one could catch her. No one could take this away from her.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!


End file.
